IoM Badminton Association’s 2020 Open Championships took place over the weekend at the NSC, attracting one of the best entries for years.

The singles comps were held on Saturday evening when Charlotte Watson (Vikings) beat Leah Brennan (Fencibles) 21-14, 21-11 in one semi-final.

Kitty Thomas (Fencibles) defeated Emma Nicholson (Vikings) 21-11, 21-19 in the other.

Thomas won the first game of the final 21-11 but was pushed hard by Watson in the second before winning 21-19.

The men’s semi-finals saw defending champion Tobey Cheng (Fencibles) beat Chris Nicholson (Vikings) 21-10, 21-12 and Matthew Wilkinson (Cu-Plas Callow St Ninian’s) beat Alex Buck (Vikings) 21-7, 12-23, 21-10.

Cheng was challenged hard by Wilkinson in the final but went on to win 21-13, 21-16.

The doubles were all played on Sunday and in the women’s semi-finals Phillipa Li and Mia Kirk (Fencibles) beat clubmates Kitty Thomas and Leah Brennan 21-18, 22-20, while Emma Nicholson and Charlotte Watson beat Alex Bell and Laura Parkinson (Fencibles) 21-8, 21-9.

Li/Kirk proved to strong for Nicholson/Watson in the final, winning 21-10, 21-19.

The men’s semi-finals saw Steven Quayle and Matthew Nicholson (Vikings) beat Joe Burrows and Juan Corrin (Fencibles) 21-15, 21-10, and Matthew Wilkinson and Chris Nicholson beat Tobey Cheng and Benjy Li (Fencibles) 21-17, 14-21, 21-19.

The final saw defending champions Quayle/Nicholson (younger brother) defeat Wilkinson/Nicholson (older brother) 21-14, 21-16.

The final event of the day was the mixed, which attracted 14 entries. Defending champions Steven Quayle and Nicola Wilkinson were given a hard game in the quarter-finals before beating Joe Burrows and Emma Nicholson 20-22, 21-15, 21-16.

They then came up against both singles champions - Cheng and Thomas - and were beaten 21-16, 21-18 in a tight semi-final.

Baillie Watterson and Louise Mellor (Castletown/Abbey) were also taken to three games in the quarter-finals by David and Kristina Buck (Vikings) before winning 19-21, 21-10, 21-15. Watterson and Mellor then came up against Matthew Nicholson and Mia Kirk in the semis, with the latter pair winning 21-16, 21-15.

In a very tight final Cheng and Thomas won 21-19, 21-19 against Nicholson and Kirk.

l The trophies were presented at the end of the tournament by association president Frank Anderson. Thanks were given to the umpires and the NSC for the facilities.

green final finale

The delayed final of the Green Final team handicap competition takes place at the NSC next Monday, October 5 between Fencibles A and Vikings B. It starts at 7pm.

DAVID CRAINE